A JavaJunkie Tale
by GilmoreGirl96
Summary: Set at the end of 'Partings'. However this time, Lorelai doesn't make the mistake that will inevitably change her life forever.
1. Communication is the key

**The story starts at the end of Season 6, in the episode '**_**Partings**_**'. However, in my version Lorelai doesn't sleep with Chris, as it should have been.**

**I do not own any of the characters, they are credit to the fabulous Amy Sherman-Palladino.**

**So here it is, my first FanFiction. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think and follow!**

Chapter 1: Communication is the key.  


Lorelai walked up to the big oak front door and knocked lightly. Chris opened the door to find Lorelai looking back at him. Her eyes were pink and her face tear-stained.

"Hey," he said nonchalantly, although concern was etched across his face.

"Hey," Lorelai responded weakly, her voice cracking as she spoke.

Lorelai remained silent, chewing on her nails worriedly. Chris was unsure of what to do. "You okay?" he questioned, tilting his head slightly. She released an audible breath and spoke, her words coming quick and fast.

"Uh. I'm having a really bad night, and, um ... I just don't want to be alone. Okay?"

Christopher looked surprised, debating with himself whether this was such a good idea; but what was he supposed to do, say no?

"Yeah. Uh, come on in." he said, welcoming his old friend.

* * *

Lorelai walked into Chris' apartment and stood in the foyer, scanning the room absentmindedly, unaware of what to do next. Chris broke the silence, startling Lorelai out of her daze. "Do you want something to drink? Martini? Wine?" he offered.

"Uh, no, I'm fine. I'll just take a coffee, if you've got one?" she asked hesitantly. "Two coffees coming up!" he said with a smile. "Take a sit, I'll be out in a minute." he called from the kitchen.

Lorelai moved into the living room, taking in her surroundings. She had only been to Chris' apartment a handful of times. The room was small yet spacious; a three-seater couch lined the back wall, Lorelai walked over to it and slowly sat down. She lent her elbow on the armrest and dropped her forehead into her outstretched palm, her long dark curls covering her face from view.

Chris came into the living room carrying two mugs, at the sight of Lorelai he frowned. "Here's your coffee." Walking over to the couch, he handed her the mug and sat beside her. "Oh, thanks." she said feebly and gave him a small unconvincing smile. Lorelai held the mug between both hands, staring down into the dark liquid. Silence continued and Chris wasn't sure what he should do. Should he ask her about it or just leave her be? Ask her, he decided.

"Lorelai? Do you want to talk about something?" he asked softly.

Lorelai continued to stare down into the darkness of her mug. Did she want to talk to Chris, she wasn't sure. To be honest she wasn't sure what she was doing here at all.

"I had a fight with Luke." she stated simply.

Chris tensed slightly at the mention of Luke. Lorelai still wasn't giving much away, but Chris pressed on.

"Oh. … Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, or anything, did he?" Chris questioned concern flooding into his voice.

"No, no! Nothing like that." Lorelai paused, releasing a sigh before continuing. "Did you know he has a kid?"

"Uh, no." he spoke hesitantly.

"Yeah, well me either. Well as of a couple of months ago, anyway. Y'know you're supposed to tell your fiancée these kind of things. Any big, important, life-changing news should be shared, right? I mean, communication is one of the most important things in a marriage, isn't it? Well not that I'd know, anyway, because, see, I'm not getting married, not June 3rd not ever."

She paused briefly before continuing. "I mean, Luke wants to get to know April and I get that, I do, but why does it have to be _so_ secretive? Why doesn't he want me to be included in her life? I've waited and _waited_. I gave them their space, what more does he want?" she talked more to herself than to Chris, but he still listened closely wearing a concerned frown. Lorelai let out a frustrated sigh, she lent her forehead to her palm and her eyes once again filled with tears; her cries soft but audible.

"Hey, hey ..." Chris scooted closer to her. He soothingly rubbed her back, placing his other free hand on her knee. She flinched a little, reacting to his touch, slightly uncomfortable with his new position. However, emotion soon overwhelmed her, the tears showing no sign of disappearing; she lent into his body and placed her head on his shoulder.

As Lorelai sobbed, Chris held her protectively, continuing to rub her back. He waited awhile, allowing her to shed the tears that she seemed to have held back for a long time. As her cries became quieter and less frequent, he spoke again.

"For what it's worth, I think he's crazy for not marrying you. He's the luckiest guy in the world and he doesn't even know it." she smiled at his words, although she felt that they didn't really apply to Luke, she appreciated his effort in trying to cheer her up. She tilted her head upwards, looking into his eyes. "Thanks, Chris." she said softly.

Before he knew what he was doing, he found his lips on hers. Lorelai tensed at first and then responded to his kiss. He allowed his hands to wander across her back, pulling Lorelai closer to him, he intensified the kiss. As Chris started to push the strap of her dress off her shoulder, Lorelai pulled back abruptly. It was as if an alarm had gone off in her head signalling the reality of what she was doing. She quickly rose from the couch and looked into Chris' confused face. "Lor?" he asked.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm going to just ... uh, go." she said while backing out of the room, stumbling slightly. "Lor!" Chris bellowed from the couch. He sighed as he heard the front door slam shut.

* * *

She drove home in silence, the actuality of what had happened becoming clearer with every passing second. As she turned into her driveway, she found Luke sitting on the porch steps, holding his head in his hands. A wave of guilt washed over her as she approached him. Luke's head shot up suddenly, as the car door closed with a bang. Lorelai could see the worry in his eyes, which only added to the guilt she felt.

"Lorelai, hey." he said softly, rising from the steps and looking into her eyes. "Hi," she said, lowering her gaze, to avoid eye contact.

"Look about earlier, I'm really sorry. I don't know why I hesitated. You just caught me off guard, you were going so fast!" he tried to explain, a pleading tone in his voice, begging for her forgiveness.

Lorelai started to walk up the porch steps and to the front door, Luke following suit. "I really, really, don't want to talk about it." she reached into her purse, and found her keys. As Lorelai unlocked the front door, Luke spoke.

"Lorelai, come on, please. Talk to me." he implored.

Lorelai opened the door and removed the key from the lock. "I don't want to talk about it!" It came out harsher than she would have liked, seeing Luke's face she added in a softer tone "Just not now. We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?" she walked into the foyer, her hand on the door ready to close it; she waited for him to respond.

At first Luke went to argue, but he stopped himself and sighed, saying: "Okay, fine. Tomorrow then." Lorelai gave a weak nod. Still averting his gaze, she closed the door. Luke lent against the porch rail, releasing a pained sigh and then slowly headed back to his truck.

* * *

Lorelai walked across the square tentatively, towards the Diner. She was on her lunch break, having avoided talking to Luke for most of the day, she decided that she should just get it over and done with. She paused on the sidewalk outside the Diner, her feet apparently cemented to the ground.

Just as she thought of turning back, Luke spotted her from inside and waved awkwardly. _Damn_. She entered the Diner cautiously, finding herself face to face with Luke.

"So … you wanna talk?" Lorelai asked nervously.

"Upstairs?" he suggested.

Lorelai nodded and made her way to the stairs.

"Caesar, I'll be upstairs if you need me!" he bellowed across the loud chatter of the customers and then followed Lorelai into his apartment.

He found Lorelai sitting at the kitchen table looking troubled, playing dreamily with her hair. Luke sat down opposite her, clasping his hands together and placing them on the table. Silence stole the room.

"Can I say something?" Luke proposed.

"Shoot,"

He breathed deeply letting out a long outward breath and spoke.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I realise now that I've been pushing you away, using April to push you away. I honestly, didn't mean for that to happen. I was just overwhelmed, I guess, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry for treating you that way Lorelai, you didn't deserve that and I promise, I won't let it happen again." He said sincerely.

Lorelai smiled slightly, "Good," She sighed, relieved. "I understand, though, that you want to spend time with April and get to know her. I think it's great, but I really do believe that it's time for me to be a part of that. It doesn't have to be a big deal or anything, you know, maybe I could swing round the Diner next time she's here, watch her fill salt and pepper shakers." Luke released a small laugh.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's sounds nice." He sighed.

Luke hadn't mentioned anything about her troubles regarding their suspended marriage. The deep shame she felt kept her from voicing these concerns. _He doesn't need to know. _It's_ better that he doesn't know._ She thought as images of last night flashed in her mind. _Telling him will only make things worse._

Luke met Lorelai's eyes from across the table and gave her a half smile. For the first time since yesterday she looked into his imploring blue eyes.

"Are we okay?" Luke questioned anxiously. Lorelai gave a small smile and nodded; she didn't want to fight anymore.

"I couldn't stay mad at you for too long, I'd need my caffeine fix eventually." She teased.

He laughed, "Come here" he spoke softly, gesturing to his lap. Lorelai slowly rose from her chair, pushing up off the table for support. She unhurriedly made her way over to him, her hips swaying slightly as she walked. When she reached him, she rested her arm around his strong shoulders and gently sat down on his lap; turning slightly to face him. Luke looked tenderly into her eyes, exploring her face, he released a content sigh. His hand supporting the small of her back, he began soothingly brushing his thumb against her.

He looked up at her, making sure that their eyes met and locked, he spoke sincerely. "I love you, Lorelai Gilmore."

Lorelai's heart melted at his words and she leaned forward, placing her lips to his. Luke responded to her kiss with passion, his lips parting hers. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him. Lorelai pulled back ever so slightly and whispered against his lips: "You're alright too," She felt him smile against her lips. Lorelai placed a short but lingering kiss to his mouth and broke away slowly.

"I've got to get back to the Inn," she said with a pout "Will I see you later?"

Luke pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You can count on it." He said with a smile.

Lorelai removed herself from Luke's lap and walked towards the apartment door, twisting her head to give Luke a meaningful smile before she left.

* * *

**TBC**


	2. Pillow stealing, rockets and pie

**I'd like to start off by thanking those of you who reviewed my first chapter. It was great to hear some feedback! This chapter isn't particularly plot driven, but I thought it was fun all the same. I promise, the plot will thicken, so stay tuned! Enjoy!**

**Once again, let me know what you think and follow!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Pillow stealing, rockets and pie.

Lorelai entered the Diner, merrily announcing her arrival: "Helloooo," As her eyes scanned the room, she found that she was talking to no one in particular; Luke was nowhere to be seen. The place was packed, the normal lunch rush, she found a spare seat at the counter and grabbed it.

Luke emerged from the kitchen, his brows furrowed, he was scribbling furiously on a small orders pad.

"Oh, Lucas!" Lorelai chanted in a mock flirtatious voice batting her eyelashes.

Luke looked at her and rolled his eyes. "Hi," he said shortly. He grabbed two plates of food and swiftly moved to the other side of the diner placing them on a table. He moved back behind the counter and started to count some receipts.

"Why, thank you, for that incredibly heartfelt greeting." She said sarcastically, placing her hand to her heart and glaring at him playfully.

"Oh. Sorry. It's busy today. My heads all over the place," He lent over the counter and pecked her firmly on the lips. "Better?" Lorelai smiled with satisfaction. "Much, thank you!"

"So, how's your day been so far?" He asked, continuing to count the receipts as he listened.

"Okay. Been fairly busy at the Inn. Sookie's thrilled because she finally found a new Tava."

Luke looked at her questioningly "A Tava?"

"Don't ask." Lorelai said shaking her head. "Michel's annoyed because _apparently_ he thinks the guests are stealing _pillows_ from the library. The air conditioning isn't working, so we're having to scrounge up as many fans as we can find. _And_ Tobin's sick, so I have to try and bully someone into covering for him tonight, or otherwise I'll have to do it." She added with a pout, letting out a dramatic exhausted sigh. Luke chuckled at her. "Coffee?"

"Ah! You read my mind! You're like the caffeine whisperer!"

"Geez," Rolling his eyes, he walked over to the coffee machine and poured the drink into a large red coffee mug. As he placed it in front of her, she spoke:

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight. Rory's coming back, Logan left for London a couple days ago and so she's feeling pretty bummed. I thought the three of us could have dinner; I'm cooking,"

"_You're_ cooking?" he asked incredulously, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, ordering takeout, but I'll put it on a plate just the way you like it! And if you're lucky, I'll let you use the real knives and forks instead of the plastic ones,"

"Lucky me," Luke said sarcastically, a smile creeping onto his face.

"So what'd you say?"

He looked into her beaming face, triggering a smile to spread across his own "Sure, sounds good,"

"Great, I'll see you tonight!" she said while rising from her stool. Luke couldn't hide the disappointment from his face, "You're going already?"

It was not missed on Lorelai and she gave an apologetic shrug, "Sorry babe, duty calls! Can you put this in a to-go cup?" she pointed to her coffee and rummaged around in her purse pulling out her wallet.

"Will you put that away?" he requested with a sigh, gesturing to her wallet.

"Luke, we have gone over this! This is your business. I am your customer. I'm paying!" she said forcefully, gesturing to the Diner, to herself and to the two notes she slid over to him to emphasise her last point. Luke sighed, defeated and walked over to the cash register. Handing Lorelai her change he asked: "So, I'll see you tonight?" Lorelai nodded enthusiastically, "Kiss," she demanded. Luke obeyed leaning over the counter and leaving a light but lingering kiss to her lips.

She gave him a flirty smile and moved towards the door her hips swaying entrancingly. Luke watched her go, his eyes unable to look away.

* * *

It was nine o'clock when Luke strolled across Lorelai's front lawn; he noticed Rory's light blue Prius parked behind Lorelai's Jeep. As he reached the front door he found it open and sighed.

"I thought I told you to lock this door? Anyone, could come in. A serial killer, a felon, did you ever think about that?" he ranted, as he strolled into the kitchen to find Lorelai setting the table.

"Why, look who it is, Mr Positivity!" she said with a sarcastic smile. She walked over to him and pressed a firm kiss to his lips. "Hey,"

"Hi," he spoke softly, leaning in for another kiss. Rory appeared from her bedroom, making them both jump. Rory let out a small giggle and walked towards the table, "What have I told you two about making out in the kitchen?" she said in a mock parental voice, waging her finger at them. Luke turned a deep shade of red.

Lorelai laughed, moving towards the counter, "Sorry, Mom!" she said sarcastically.

"Hey, what's that?" Rory questioned, pointing to the round Tupperware container in Luke's hand.

"I brought dessert,"

The girls' eyes lit up in excitement. "Dessert! Oh, is it pie, is it?" Lorelai spoke excitedly.

"Or cheesecake, is it cheesecake?" Rory continued eagerly.

"OH! Brownies?!" Lorelai exclaimed.

Luke frowned at them impatiently. "Would you like to know what it is, or do you want to continue this little guessing game?"

"No, we want to know!" Rory said quickly.

"Its boysenberry pie," Luke stated simply, a smile inching onto his face as he saw the girls' reaction.

"Pie! Score!" Rory exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air.

Lorelai placed her hand on her heart, "You do know how to make a girl happy, don't you Luke?" Walking over to him, she opened the container and took a deep whiff of the pie, exhaling dreamily. "So, _this_ is what heaven smells like!"

Lorelai grabbed a spoon from the side and dived for the pie. However, before she could attack the delicious crust, the spoon was pulled swiftly out of her hand.

"Hey!" Lorelai exclaimed, turning around to face Luke with a pout. "No pie before dinner," he gave her a warning look. Lorelai looked shocked, her mouth open in a dramatic 'O'; capitulating, she sighed "Fine,"

Grabbing the many Chinese takeout boxes and placing them in the middle of the table, Rory called "Let's eat!" while taking a seat.

"Let's shall!" Lorelai followed Rory and sat in the chair next to her, shortly shadowed by Luke.

As they all dug into the feast, Lorelai spoke "Hey, Luke, look," she exclaimed pointing at the plates and cutlery "Do you like the plates? And the cutlery! Did you see the cutlery?" Luke nodded in response, his mouth full of food, he rolled his eyes smiling slightly.

"My gift to you; so you can eat like a civilised human being. Though, why you'd want to do that is beyond me," She said shaking her head at the thought. Luke chuckled and continued to eat.

"Oh, so did you manage to get someone to cover for Tobin?" he asked Lorelai.

"Oh, no, see, actually I'm over there _right now_ and this dazzlingly person you see before you is just a talking hologram," she said sarcastically. Rory giggled and Luke gave Lorelai an impatient look, sighing as he spoke "Lorelai,"

"Yes, yes, I got someone to cover. I managed to convince one of the new members of staff to do it," she giggled mischievously.

"How'd you do that?" Luke asked with a smirk.

"Ah! Never underestimate the persuasive powers of Lorelai Gilmore!" Rory chimed in, pointing her fork at him warningly. He put his hands up in surrender, "I wouldn't dare!"

They continued to eat, as the conversation lagged, Lorelai looked over at Rory. She was wearing a sad expression, picking at her food she appeared to be daydreaming. Lorelai knew it was because of Logan, but she hated seeing her this way.

"Hon, how are you feeling about the whole Logan thing?" she asked tentatively, giving her a concerned look.

Rory exhaled slowly, "It sucks. It really, really sucks!" she uttered, looking back down at her unusually full plate of food. "It's only been 3 days and I miss him like crazy,"

Lorelai looked at her sympathetically, "Well did he say anything, about when you'd be seeing each other again?" she questioned.

"Nope. He didn't say anything. I mean we didn't even discuss anything about the long-distance relationship thing. It was just sort of implied. He did give me a rocket though, so maybe that's a good sign?" Rory said, slight anxiety in her voice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. Did you just say _rocket_?" Lorelai asked sceptically.

"Yes,"

"He gave you a _rocket_?" she pressed further in disbelief.

"Yes,"

"Did he get you a matching spacesuit, or is he saving that for your birthday?" she teased.

Rory rolled her eyes, holding up a finger, signalling for Lorelai to wait. She walked into her room, apparently rummaging around in her suitcase. She emerged carrying a 2 foot tall model rocket and placed it in the centre of the table.

Both Lorelai and Luke looked at the rocket incredulously.

"He did. He got you a rocket," she frowned at the model, baffled.

"Yep. But what does this mean? There's a message behind it, I know there is and I just can't figure it out. In the 2 years that I've known him, I don't think we've ever had a conversation about rockets. Ever," she sighed, looking intently at the rocket, hoping that it would give her answers if she stared at it long enough.

"What do you think Luke? We need a guy's perspective," Lorelai asked turning to face Luke.

"Uh, well you know, maybe, um, … he was trying to say that … uh, he loves you as much as he loves rockets or something," Luke said lamely, struggling to think of something helpful to say.

Lorelai scoffed, "What?"

"Well I don't know, what do I know about rockets?"

"Well your no help," she teased.

Rory scooped up the last of her food and shovelled it into her mouth. Rising from the table and putting her plate into the sink, she spoke: "I think I'm going to try googling it, see if I can find anything helpful. Then I'm gonna go to bed,"

Lorelai looked at her, a surprised expression on her face. "So early?"

"Yeah, it's been a _really_ long couple of days and I'm exhausted," she walked over to her Mom and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Night,"

"Night sweets," Lorelai responded, a concerned frown on her face.

"Night Luke," Rory called as she walked into her bedroom and shut the door.

Luke raised a hand in response. Lorelai turned down to her nearly empty plate and pushed the small remains of her food around with her fork absentmindedly. She rose from the table, picked up Luke's plate and stacked it on hers, while moving towards the sink to begin washing up. She ran the water silently, and began to scrub the plates.

Luke walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind.

"You okay?" he spoke softly, pressing a loving kiss on the top of her head.

Lorelai smiled as he embraced her, she relaxed her body into him and continued with the task in hand. "Yeah," she sighed "I'm okay, I just don't like seeing her this way. I mean, not that I was a huge fan of Logan, but … it just hurts me to see her so down, you know?"

"I know," he said sympathetically, "She'll be okay," lowering his head to place small soft kisses up her neck and along her jawline. She melted into him at his touch, closing her eyes and abandoning the dishes. She turned to face him, gazing into his gorgeous blue eyes, Luke's hands now placed on her hips.

"I hope so," she sighed heavily.

"Thanks, for coming over tonight," she gave him a warm smile, tilting her head upwards, she placed a tender peck to his lips, kissing him slowly, drinking him in. Luke responded, deepening the kiss, his hands pulling her hips closer to his body so there was barely an inch of space between them.

Lorelai broke away from him, and leaned to her side looking at the counter hungrily. "Can I have the pie now?" she asked eagerly.

Luke laughed, "Your mind astounds me sometimes," placing a small kiss to her temple and releasing her, "Go have your pie!" he said rolling his eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she sang, skipping towards the container and cutting herself a generous portion. Luke chuckled and moved to stand beside her, leaning against the counter.

Lorelai plunged a fork into the pie, eating it straight from the container. Placing a forkful of pie into her mouth, she slowly removed the fork, eliminating every last morsel. "Oh my God. This is _so_ good!" she sighed in appreciation.

Luke smiled slightly and then lowered his gaze, staring at his shoes. He told himself that he would tell Lorelai, if an opportunity arose. Unfortunately, the opportune time was now. He still felt unsure about the whole thing, but he decided that Lorelai was right.

Still staring at his shoes, he began to speak unsteadily "Er, Lorelai?"

"Yeah babe?" Lorelai responded, half-listening, not looking up from the dessert.

"Well, um … April, she's coming to the diner tomorrow, for a couple of hours. Uh, I just thought you might have wanted to know," he added hesitantly.

Lorelai slowly lowered her fork, her face serious as he talked, smiling at his last words "I did, thank you," she looked down at the counter "So, um, shall I come round tomorrow?" she questioned cautiously.

"Uh, yeah, come over, around lunch time?" he said hesitantly. Lorelai nodded with a smile.

Luke still looked nervous, his eyes now fixating on the floor again. She gave him a sympathetic frown, "Hon, it will be okay. I promise, we'll take it slow, okay?" Luke exhaled, still slightly unsure about the idea, however he nodded, pulling Lorelai into a tight embrace.

* * *

**TBC**


	3. That insane Doppler Effect!

**(A/N): I am so, so sorry for this late update! Unfortunately, it is that time of the year again when my life is taken over by coursework and exam revision. (Yay, for A-Levels!) However, I'm now on study leave and half of my exams are over, so hopefully I will have more time to write! :) **

**Thank you so so much for all the kind reviews! You have no idea how happy they make me, so please keep reviewing! I now have 21 (!) followers, I can't believe it! Thank you to all who followed and favourited my story, I dedicate this chapter to you!**

**I hope that this extra-long chapter makes up for the wait, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3: That insane Doppler Effect!

Rory awoke abruptly to the sunlight that streamed into her room. She still had mixed feelings about Logan's response. _December, really?_ However, she respected that he was starting a new job and needed time to settle down. Or at least she almost did. She let out a lengthy sigh.

"Nothing left to do but get up and face the music." She muttered to herself as she rolled out of bed.

She opened the door, rubbing her tired eyes and letting out a yawn. She jumped as she almost ran into Lorelai who was standing right outside her door.

"OH, GOD! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Please tell me you have not been standing there all night,"

"No, not all night. I waited until you went to sleep at least," Lorelai joked.

"Oh great, much better!" Rory said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Is that food I can smell?" she questioned in surprise, sniffing the air dramatically as she walked further into the kitchen.

"Don't act so surprised, missy! I can cook just as well as the next person," she added in defence.

Rory scoffed, laughing as she sat down at the kitchen table, "Yeah, and I can walk on the moon without a spacesuit,"

Lorelai grabbed a plate off the counter and walked it over to Rory, placing it in front of her as she spoke, "Huh, well. I slave away for _days_, weeks even! Just so you can have the perfect breakfast and _this_ is the thanks I get!" exaggerating her words dramatically, shaking her head.

Rory smiled as she took a bite out of the fluffy pancake. As she chewed, a suspicious smirk formed on her face. Lorelai moved over to the table and sat down, a coffee mug in hand. Noticing Rory's face she asked innocently "What?"

"Luke made these, didn't he?" she questioned, shaking her head.

"What? Lorelai Gilmore I am appalled at the insinuation!" Rory looked up from her plate giving her a knowing look.

"Well … maybe," Lorelai confessed, dismissing it with a wave of her hand.

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed in mock exasperation.

"What?! He was here anyway!" she added lamely raising her hands in defence.

"Well, thank God you found a man who can cook!" concluding her point by popping another forkful of pancake into her mouth, sighing dreamily in appreciation.

"So, did you find out any more about the rocket mystery?" Lorelai questioned while taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yep. Mystery solved," Rory responded nonchalantly, looking slightly irritated.

"You did? That's great! Wait, why is that not great?" Lorelai added seeing Rory's displeased look.

"Well, I called Logan and I was like, 'yeah, yeah. Oh, I love the love rocket, you know? And I can't wait to come see you.' And he was like, 'oh, yeah, me too. Um, I'm gonna buy you a ticket for _December_,'" she added grudgingly.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry," Lorelai gave her a sympathetic frown.

"It's okay, I mean I understand. He's starting a new career and he needs time to adjust. It's just if he wasn't in London right now, we would be on our Asia trip. I mean, I knew that it might not happen, but I hoped it would, and I just kept planning and planning and planning,"

Rory stood up from the table and walked into her room. Returning moments later with a pile of travel books, covered in sticky notes.

"Wow. Were you planning on visiting Asia or invading it?" Lorelai teased staring at the huge pile that Rory had now dumped onto the table with a loud thud.

"Look at all this wasted effort. All this highlighter ink? Wasted. All of these sticky notes? Wasted. We were going to see the terra-cotta soldiers in Xian. And we were going to go to Peking for the opera and the duck. I want to see Tibet. I want to snorkel off the An Thoi islands in Vietnam. I want to see the crazy teenage fashions in the Harajuku district of Tokyo," Rory exclaimed, leaning back into her chair, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Aw, honey!" Lorelai sighed, looking helplessly at her daughter, "So, no Asia?"

"No, Asia," Rory stated simply, exhaling audibly. She propped her elbow on the table, holding her head in her palm as she continued to eat her pancakes.

"Oh, while I remember: Lane called, she's back from her Honeymoon!" Lorelai announced, watching the smile on her daughters face emerge.

"Oh, yay! I'll pop by later and see how it went! My married friend Lane and her husband Zach. Nutso!" Rory sighed, shaking her head slightly in disbelief.

"Nutso, indeed," Lorelai said with a smile.

"Oh, that reminds me, have you heard from Dad recently?" Rory asked casually, while using the edge of her for fork to cut off another mouthful of pancake.

Lorelai's head bolted upwards, looking up at Rory, who was still trying to free a piece of pancake with her fork. Lorelai's body had frozen, panic rose up through her body, causing her palms to sweat. _She hadn't told Rory, had she? I'm sure I'd remember telling her. Oh, no. Did Chris tell her? Is this meant to be some sort of subtle way of bringing it up? Shit._

"What, no, I … no, why would I … no," she stammered, unable to string together a coherent sentence. Rory looked up giving her a quizzical look. Lorelai cleared her throat and tried again. "No, not recently, recently. Why'd you ask?" she asked, holding her breath in anticipation.

"I was just wondering, I haven't heard from him in a while. He's probably just busy, I guess," she said, shrugging her shoulders and unsuccessfully trying to hide the disappointment from her face.

It was at that moment that the implications of her actions dawned on Lorelai. She hadn't even thought about how it would affect Rory. _How could she have been so stupid?_ She prayed that Chris wasn't avoiding talking to Rory because of what had happened. She'd never be able to forgive herself if she had unintentionally wrecked the relationship between Rory and her Father.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," she gave Rory a reassuring smile, concealing the nerves that were bubbling inside of her.

* * *

Over the past few days, the guilt of what had happened with Christopher, ate away at her. On the one hand, she knew that telling Luke about that night would be the worst decision she had ever made. Then again, Luke had been so good to her and to Rory, did he really deserve to be lied to? Lorelai knew she was going to explode if she didn't tell _someone_ soon and so she sought out her best friend.

"Sook?" Lorelai called as she walked into the Dragonfly's kitchen.

"Here, hon!" she responded, emerging from behind the fridge door. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you," she requested.

"Okay, shoot!"

"I did something … horrible," she spoke in a small voice.

"You didn't murder anyone did you?" Sookie asked teasingly.

"Sookie!" Lorelai moaned.

"Right, sorry, serious now. Continue,"

Lorelai exhaled deeply and proceeded "I kissed Christopher," she watched her best friend closely as she waited for her response.

Sookie's face had frozen, still processing what she had just heard. "You? … Oh," she said in realisation. Lorelai threw her hands to her face in shame, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Okay, hon, you've got to tell me how this happened," Sookie asked

"I'd just had a huge fight with Luke, I felt like our relationship was slipping through my fingers. I didn't know what to do! Next thing I know, I'm at Chris' front door. I still don't even know what compelled me to go to him. He'd been at my parents' house for dinner that evening, so I suppose he was on my mind, but still. _Why, was I so stupid_?" she pleaded, looking at her friend for an answer.

"Look, honey, people do crazy things when their upset, its human nature. Although I still don't really know the extent of the crazy …" she said pointedly, urging Lorelai to continue.

"_He_ kissed me, but I didn't stop it. Well, until he began to pull down the strap of my dress, _then_ I stopped it," she said pointedly. A small "Oh," escaped from Sookie's lips, but Lorelai proceeded.

"It was like alarm bells were going off in my head, you know? Like: _what are you doing? Get out of there!_" she exclaimed with wild hand gestures.

Sookie nodded in understanding, "So, did you … get out of there?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes. That was it, I mean, it could have been worse, right? It was just a kiss, it's not like I slept with him or anything," she argued lamely, trying desperately to find some way of making her actions justifiable. "Oh, God. Listen to me! I'm horrible!" she sat on one of the stools at the counter, propping her elbows on the ledge and sinking her face into her hands.

"Aw, honey," Sookie said sympathetically walking over to Lorelai and rubbing her back soothingly, "You're not horrible," Lorelai looked up at her giving her a pointed look. Sookie winced.

"Okay, it was a _little_ horrible," she said holding up her thumb and index finger with a small space between them to indicate the magnitude. "But, like you said, it could have been worse!" she reasoned, trying to console her friend.

"Sookie. Please. Just tell me what to do! The guilt is eating me alive here!" she pleaded desperately.

"Me?" Sookie questioned alarmed, placing her hand on her chest.

"Yes, you. Should I tell Luke, or not?" Lorelai enquired anxiously.

Sookie sighed and waited a minute or so before answering, taking time to think. "Honestly honey, I think not,"

"Really?" Lorelai questioned, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah. I mean, nothing good will come from telling him. It's one of those things that is only going to make you feel less guilty and make him feel … well, not good," she added lamely, "He doesn't need to know," Sookie confirmed giving Lorelai a reassuring smile. "But, hey, that's just my opinion, you do whatever feels right to _you_,"

Lorelai nodded, exhaling deeply as she took in Sookie's advice. Giving Sookie a small smile she spoke softly, "Thanks," and removed herself from the stool, walking back out to the reception desk.

* * *

Lorelai walked tentatively into the diner later that afternoon. Peering around she spotted a mass of bushy brown hair; April was sitting at the counter her head faced down, she was reading intently. Lorelai exhaled nervously and then made her way over to the counter, taking a seat next to April. April however had been oblivious to this, completely absorbed in her book. Lorelai tried to act nonchalant, taking a menu and perusing it.

"Lorelai?" April asked surprised, as she emerged from her book.

Lorelai looked up from the menu and gasped in pretend exasperation "April! Hi! I didn't notice you there!"

"Oh yeah, sorry, this book is really good," April smiled sheepishly.

"Oh no, it's okay. So what you reading?"

"Oh," April flipped over the book to reveal the title. Lorelai tilted her head and read the title aloud: "'_The Realm of the Nebulae'_ by Edwin Hubble. Wow, fun stuff!" Lorelai giggled, slightly in awe by the 13 year olds choice in reading material.

"Oh, it is! The Doppler Effect is insane! Hubble's theories are amazing and it's such a shame because he's so underappreciated, you know? All anyone ever talks about is 'that giant telescope'! I mean how crazy is that, when Hubble was actually the father of the big bang theory!" April rambled on passionately. Lorelai smiled widely at April's enthusiasm, she reminded her so much of Rory that it made her heart melt.

Luke returned from the storeroom to find April babbling away to Lorelai, his heart suddenly stopped and he found himself rooted to the spot as he watched the exchange. However, his panic soon vanished when he saw the ease at which Lorelai interacted with her and how comfortable April seemed to be around Lorelai.

"Oh, I hear ya, that insane Doppler Effect!" Lorelai said through a smile, hoping that April wouldn't catch onto the fact that Lorelai hadn't the faintest idea what she was talking about. Luke smiled and walked over to the counter; _maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all._

"Hi Dad!" April greeted Luke's return. Lorelai whipped her head around to face Luke, he seemed to look fairly calm which pleased her, "Hey, there you are!" she spoke softly, her eyes gleaming.

Luke nodded in response and gave her a reassuring smile, "So, April, I assume you remember Lorelai?"

"Of course! My birthday party's still the talk of my class!" April proclaimed proudly. "And that's pretty impressive at my school,"

"What can I say, I know how to throw a party," she said smiling proudly at Luke, shrugging her shoulders. Luke chuckled, "So, you girls want anything to eat?"

"Cheeseburger for me. Oh, and coffee. In a vat," Lorelai added for good measure. Luke rolled his eyes, producing a coffee cup from underneath the counter and placing it in front of her. As he grabbed the coffee pot and started to pour, he spoke: "A mug will have to suffice for now I'm afraid. April, what about you?" he asked, turning his attention to his daughter.

"What Lorelai's having sounds good! Minus the coffee; I haven't really found a hankering for coffee yet," she said disappointedly.

"Don't worry, it's an acquired taste, you'll like it when you get a bit older," Lorelai smiled reassuringly.

"Do not encourage her, Lorelai. She doesn't like coffee and I would like it to remain that way, thank you," he said giving them both a pointed look, before disappearing into the kitchen. Lorelai rolled her eyes at him and smiled at April, "Don't worry, if you whine for long enough, he'll give into anything you say," Lorelai said giving April a wink.

April giggled, "What's in the bag?" she asked curiously, pointing to the carrier bag that sat on a nearby stool.

"Oh, just some Asian decorations. I'm going to create Asia for Rory in our living room, since she can't go to the real Asia this summer as planned. But my Asia is going to be _so_ much better; you can't have desert sushi in the _real_ Asia!" Lorelai joked.

April chuckled, "Sounds like fun! … Desert sushi, huh? Sounds just gross enough to work!" Lorelai beamed at April; she could get used to this, she thought with a smile.

* * *

Lorelai and Rory lay spread out on the couch later that evening, wearing brightly coloured Kimonos and clutching their full stomachs. The living room was covered in Asian themed items: Chinese lanterns danced around the ceiling, bamboo plants were scattered around the room and the furniture was decorated Feng Shui style. The TV was blaring in the corner, halfway through their movie marathon; they were now watching '_Enter the Dragon'_.

Rory groaned, "Oh my God! I don't think I've ever been this full! Have we ever been this full? I've reached bursting point. Seriously, don't poke me with anything sharp or I might pop,"

"Noted," Lorelai stated simply, nodding her head, "Ugh. I feel like I've eaten a cow, or a whale, or some other large mammal," she moaned clutching her swollen stomach.

"Well the Butterfinger-junior-mint-chocolate-chip-jujube roll, was _your_ idea," Rory reminded her.

"Yeah, well, you could have stopped me, couldn't you?" she said accusingly.

"Yeah, I'll try that next time," Rory said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. As she peered down to look at her watch, she realised it was getting late. She groaned as she used her arms to push herself off of the couch and stood up.

"Where you are going?" Lorelai asked, looking up at her daughter, the disappointment evident in her voice.

"I'm just going over to Lanes quickly, she had a doctor's appointment earlier, I just want to see how it went," Rory responded removing her Kimono, looking at the pout on her mother's face she sighed, "I will be back soon, I promise! Then we can perform your Kabuki play," Rory added with a grin.

"Fine," Lorelai said reluctantly, "Kiss the Mommy before you go," she demanded.

"See you later, Mom," Rory bent down and kissed Lorelai on the cheek, "And, don't eat anymore desert sushi without me!" she said, pointing a warning finger at Lorelai and heading out the door.

"No promises!" Lorelai called playfully, as she sunk down further into the couch, the cushions enveloping her and pulling her in. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes and listening to the quiet hum of the movie. The phone began to ring, its sound echoing throughout the house and interrupting Lorelai's daze.

"Ugh. We're out of the country, call back later please!" Lorelai yelled at the phone, in a mock sweet voice.

The phone stopped ringing and Lorelai's voice rung throughout the house, "I'm not home, I have a life, get over it." Lorelai giggled, as the answering machine beeped.

"Lor, hey, it's Chris," the answering machine sounded. Lorelai bolted upright staring at the answering machine wide-eyed.

"I, uh, just, wanted to talk. About the other night." Lorelai slowly stood up from the couch and moved over to the answering machine, her heart beating fast.

"I'm sorry. I just kind of assumed that's why you were there, but, apparently not. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you when you were that upset, I'm really sorry, Lor. Please, call me, I just want to talk. Okay … bye." The answering machine beeped again and Lorelai stood, still staring at the answering machine in shock. _Why would he call here? Idiot._

Luke's slow steps announced his arrival, as he entered from the kitchen. "Lorelai, what's going on?" he questioned, as he walked further into the living room, his eyes scanning the room.

Lorelai froze as she looked at Luke. _How long had he been in the kitchen? How much had he heard? Oh dear God, please tell me he didn't hear the message. _Lorelai's heart pounded fast against her chest in panic, and her palms began to sweat.

"Wha-a-t?" Lorelai asked her voice quiet, cracking as she tried to hide her fear.

Luke paused briefly, then let his eyes scan the room once again. "What's with all the decorations?" he asked, turning his head towards the stairs, "Is that a _Sandra Oh_ poster?" he asked sceptically, letting a smile spread across his face.

_He hadn't heard_. Lorelai released a long breath, she hadn't realised she was holding.

"Ha. Ha. Yeah, well you know me, I love me some Cristina Yang," her laugh came out forced and uneasy. She tried to pull herself together before Luke became suspicious.

Luke chuckled and walked over to Lorelai, placing his hands on her hips and gazing into her bright blue eyes. "I was thinking of making Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner, does that sound alright?" Luke questioned, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her hip.

Lorelai swallowed, apparently she had not quite regained her voice. "Uh, yeah, sure, sounds great!" she said weakly, trying to muster up enough fake enthusiasm to give her voice some conviction. All thoughts regarding her bloated stomach momentarily forgotten. Lorelai tried to clear her head, which was proving rather difficult as Chris' voice whirred round and round her head. _Focus. You're going to give it away, focus_. Luke smiled and placed a light peck on her lips, "You did a great job with April today," Luke commented softly.

"She's a great kid, I told you it would be fine!" Lorelai acknowledged, giving him a tender smile. "I think she liked me, as well,"

"She loved you Lorelai, you really were great. Thank you," he said, giving her an appreciative smile, before placing a tender kiss to her forehead and pulling her in for a hug.

* * *

**TBC**

**Phew, Lorelai dodged a bullet there! I want to know what you guys think, should Lorelai tell Luke? Let me know!**


End file.
